Sir Bernard told BBC World's HARDtalk Britain needed a "decent opposition" for the sake of democracy.

Sir Bernard Ingham: "I know what it's like when you don't have a decent opposition"

"I don't know where it's going to come from, but I think the Tories have got to decide they are in the serious business of politics," he said. "They've got to recover their appetite for it and they've got to start opposing and God knows there's enough to oppose."

On Conservative leader William Hague he said: "I think he's very much up to the job at the despatch box there's no doubt about it, he's a parliamentary performer."

'Total businesswoman'

Sir Bernard was a spin doctor before the term was invented. He was a civil servant who became well-known for his gruff, down-to-earth approach and was said to have enormous influence over Margaret Thatcher when she was prime minister.

He was loyal to Mrs Thatcher through her 11 years of office and in 1990 he was rewarded with a knighthood.

But although he said he admired Margaret Thatcher, Sir Bernard admitted he did not particularly like her.

Sir Bernard Ingham: "I don't think that she is the sort of person that you can sort of like as such"

"She doesn't have any of the sort of graces that enable you to like her," he said "She didn't have small talk, none whatsoever - she's a total businesswoman.

"There's an enormous amount of milk of human kindness for the people who work for her and she's very good at showing that and very good at demonstrating concern. But I don't think she's very good at demonstrating what is loosely described as compassion.

"I think she would regard compassion as something that comes out of other people's pockets."

But he had enormous praise for his former boss and said she had left a powerful legacy.

"Margaret Thatcher changed the nature of Britain," he said. "And nothing was clearer about that than the fact that Mr Blair had to adopt her policies wholesale in order to get elected.

"She changed the nature of Britain and that is a very considerable achievement."

You can watch the HARDtalk interview in full on BBC World and News 24 at the times shown below.

BBC World (times shown in GMT)
March 5 1530 and 1930
March 6 0730 and 0930